For about 6 years I have really had a heart for Varanasi, formerly known as Benares, City of Lights. It's a place where millions of Hindu pilgrims go to each year for a plethora of reasons. Some believe that if they take a bath in the Ganges, their sin will be washed away. Others believe that when you die near the Ganges, you will be set free from the cycle of karma, and finally at peace. Others go there to receive a special request in prayer by their favorite god, although Varanasi is known to be the home of Lord Shiva, the destroyer. In Hinduism there are over 330 million different gods and the rules and dogma aren't very clear cut as there are many different ways of belief and practice. Houser and I got to go there earlier this year for a meeting and as Bev and I had often talked about and prayed for Varanasi in the States, we wanted to go there together and pray. It's a place where people are seeking truth and salvation, it's a place where the hungry and desperate come seeking refuge and reprieve. Many foreigners can be found in Varanasi as well. Thousands go to a school there called Benares Hindu University and there are a bunch of hippies and those who want to become Hindus as well.
It was the weirdest thing. Bev has really been into the World Cup as this is the first time Australia has been in it since 1974 and so the night Australia was playing Italy, we found a little restaurant that was playing ESPN. We sat down and ate and soon the place was full of many foreigners from all over the world. A man from Mexico, a few from Israel, Italy, America, England, and all over. Some were hippies and travellers, some were studying tabla (an Indian drum), one European man was dressed like a sadhu in orange, with long, flowing white hair. All were gathered to watch the World Cup in this little restaurant, it was a funny sight.
We were there for a few days and then met Houser in a different state where they are wanting to run Mission Adventures. He was doing doing some training for the staff there and so we met him and have returned to Shillong tonight. Now we really won't be leaving Shillong for the next 5 months. The DTS has started and in a couple of weeks the SOFM (School of Frontier Missions) will begin. I'm going to help staff that full-time and I'm truly looking forward to that.
